THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

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14th

SAFETY REPORT

Attempts by some reactionary employers to return to the
use of the “Big Stick” in safety have been thwarted by the
energetic action of the Local Unions and Regional Council,
stated Regional Safety Director Bob Ross in his report to the
14th Annual Safety Conference.

Following is the complete text of his report:

“Historically, the aim of our Union in accident prevention
has been the development of a joint safety programme arrived
at mutually, Early acceptance by management of equal par-
ticipation in the framing of safety policy and programmes on
the job, produced the dramatic improvements of which we
have been so proud.

“However, in the past year there has emerged an irre-
sponsible philosophy on the part of some reactionary manage-
ment, a return to the “Big Stick” in safety — devise some
rules and ram them down the throats of the crew; fire the
so-called unsafe worker and there company obligation ends.

“The effects of course have been disastrous.

“Fortunately, energetic action by the Local Unions and
Regional Council has largely overcome this problem, although
there still remains a tough fight ahead with a few die-hard
corporations.

“T am particularly pleased to note the close attention to
safety problems on the part of the administrative officers and
executive boards of the Local Unions and the Regional Coun-
cil. This stronger interest has encouraged greater efforts in
Local Safety Councils and in plant Safety Committees.

“Until recently, the various operators in the Southern
Interior had no co-ordinated approach to accident prevention.
The appointment of two full time Safety Directors by the
Southern Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association will
give the Local Unions the opportunity to provide experienced
assistance to the employers in the development of an area
approach to Safety.

“The Northern Interior has still to provide a full time
Association Safety Department. The Local Union must there-
fore deal with the operators individually.

“In the Province of Alberta, in the big St. Regis operation
at Hinton, your Regional Safety Director found it necessary
to negotiate at the bargaining table a joint safety programme.
Here the threat of job action was found necessary.

“With the exception of the I.W.A. plants in Saskatchewan,
there is no real safety programme in that province. What little
responsibility there is in prevention, regulation and inspection
is divided haphazardly between the Department of Labour
and the Workmen’s Compensation Board.

“We can take pride in the invitation to our Regional
Council by the Deputy Minister of Labour and the new Chair-
man of the Workmen’s Compensation Board, to assist in set-
ting up a provincial plan in this field. One meeting was held
recently in Prince Albert and others are projected.

“In the latter part of September your Safety Director
finished presentation to the Commission of Inquiry on the
Workmen’s Compensation Act. The Council of the Forest
Industries of B.C. which represents all of the organized em-
ployers in the woodworking industry, introduced two very
dangerous amendments to the Act, both designed to increase
the “walking wounded” problem. They were:

“That in the case of total temporary disability of Jess than
twenty-eight days duration, the amount of time loss payments
be cut from the present 75% to 50% of net earnings.

“That in the case of temporary partial disability and the
employer offers “light work”, that compensation payments be
confined to 75% of any difference in pay between his old rate
and the new rate for “light work”.

“Fortunately, we had witnesses to show to the Commis-
sioner that even under the present legislation, there was
considerable abuse on the part of employers.

“Your Regional Officers are considering a recommenda-
tion that this Regional Council re-affiliate itself to the B.C.
Safety Council. This step will be necessary if we are to partici-
ers in the proposed new Canadian National Safety Council.
it is time that Canada should no longer be required to turn

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to the U.S.A. for national information on accidents.

“Finally, on behalf of the Regional Council, I wish to
ecognize the tremendous debt of gratitude our Union owes
| T Committee members whose unselfish

and avoided so much tragedy

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NNUAL SAFETY CONFERENCE 4

NEW SAFETY BIBLE

Region To Print Safety Policy
In Booklet Form For Members

The recent convention approved revisions to the IWA
Safety Policy. The changes will be incorporated in booklet
form for mass distribution to the membership.

In recent years it has be- [
come increasingly apparent
that certain employers were
intent on two approaches.

1. To twist the functions of
the Joint Safety Committees
to that of a disciplinary body.

2. Failing in this, to isolate
the Safety Committee by the
use of management appointed
area “Safety Captains” as a
substitute. :

The first abuse is already
covered in our policy:

“(8) Union Safety Commit-
tee members shall at no time
recommend or agree to any
disciplinary action for safety
violations.”

The second problem is now
taken care of by the new
sections below:

“That all accidents are in-
itially investigated by the ac-
cident prevention committee
only.”

ments to the union members
of the Joint Safety Commit-
tee.”

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BOB ROSS

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“(10) Only the Joint Safety
Committee in an operation
shall be recognized and auth-
orized to conduct or deal with
safety matters within the
operation.”

“(11) In the case of large
operations, additional safety
representatives may be elec-
ted or appointed by the Un-

Regional Safety Director

“(12) Any violation of the
foregoing policy is an offence
against the Union and those
persons who violate the pol-
icy may be called before the
Local Union Executive Board
for action.”

Union members should un-

ion to report from depart- derstand that the Safety Pol-

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B.C.’s FIRST WORKMAN to receive Workmen’s Compensa-
tion Board benefits way back in 1917 recently visited WCB
Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. Thomas Pickering, 80,
of Burnaby, now retired, injured his finger in a Vancouver
longshoring accident two hours after the Workmen’s Compen-
sation Act went into effect January 1, 1917. In his 40 years of
work as a longshoreman this was the only injury he suffered.
In photo, Mr. Pickering looks on approvingly as Settimio
Briglio of Burnaby, who injured his hand in April of this year,
gets useful exercise by weaving bristles into brush in Occupa-
tional Therapy ward at Centre. Over two million inuries have
Iseen reported since Mr. Pickering was injured. Benefits
awarded to accident victims amount to nearly half-a-billion
dollars in WCB’s 46 year history.

icy booklet contains direction
— not merely advice — as to
his conduct in accident pre-
vention.

Refusal to agree with the
employer on disciplinary ac-
tion against a fellow member
in no way conflicts with the
SELF ‘DISCIPLINE within
our Union which is outlined
in the new Sub-section (12).

The Regional Council has
supplied to your Local Un-
ions, a sufficient number of
stencilled copies of the re-
vised policy to serve until the
booklet is available for distri-
bution to each member.

THIS WILL BE YOUR
SAFETY BIBLE — USE IT!

QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS

I read recently that a man
was electrocuted when he
tried to retrieve an electric
razor which he had dropped
in water while shaving. How
dangerous are electric razors?

The above case was very
unusual. Electric razors are
very tightly constructed to
keep out water from inner
mechanisms, and generally
are very safe. In instances
where the razor is dropped
into water, usually enough
time will elapse before the
user retrieves it for the water
to short out the circuit and
prevent hazard. The man in
this case apparently retrieved
his within a split second be-
fore the water had a chance
to short out the circuit.

* * *

Are blank cartridges com-
pletely harmless?

No, and when used at close
range, the cartridges can be
fatal. The term “blank” in a
sense is a misnomer; most
cartridges contain heavy
paper wadding that will pen-
etrate the body when fired
at close range.

* * *

Is any radiation given off
by a radium-dial watch?

Yes, but the amount is so
minute there is no danger.
The amount of radiation is
greater on a new watch than
an old one, but even so, the
amount is almost unmeasur-
able. And since the half-life
of radium is 1620 years, the
decrease of radiation with
the age of the watch would
not be significant. ae

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